Aaron Donald has already built a resume that’s guaranteed to get him into the Hall of Fame, assuredly as a first-ballot selection. After winning a Super Bowl, three Defensive Player of the Year awards and making seven All-Pro teams, there isn’t much left for Donald to accomplish.
What should be next on his list is becoming the greatest defensive tackle of all time.
According to most NFL experts and analysts, however, he’s already earned that title, too.
ESPN polled reporters, analysts and experts to find the greatest player of all time, or the GOAT, at each position. At defensive tackle, Donald received 39 of the 50 votes to be considered the best in NFL history.
The next-closest player was Mean Joe Greene, who received just five votes. And Rams legend Deacon Jones came in third with three votes.
Donald gets even the most remember-when people in the league to acknowledge his place in NFL history. He has won three Defensive Player of the Year awards and been a first-team All-Pro selection in seven of his eight seasons. And even though he is constantly swarmed with blockers, Donald unravels offensive game plans. His first Super Bowl win earlier this year only adds to an already Canton-worthy résumé. — Legwold
In his career, Donald has 98 sacks, 441 tackles and 23 forced fumbles, recording a whopping 150 tackles for a loss. He led the league in sacks and tackles for a loss in 2018 when he had 20.5 and 25, respectively.
The only time Donald didn’t finish in the top five of Defensive Player of the Year voting was in 2014 when he was a rookie and won Defensive Rookie of the Year.
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